Municipalities
Original title: Concelhos
Outlines the creation of Madeira's municipalities (concelhos), from the first three in 1451 to Ribeira Brava in 1914, giving eleven in the district. It also explains the difference between 'vila' and 'concelho' under constitutional law.
Origin and list of the municipalities
The three captaincies into which the Madeira archipelago was divided had as their highest authority in the administration of public affairs the captains-donatary, who wielded almost absolute power and judged all criminal cases, ‘saluo em semtemcia de morte ou talhamento de membro’ (save in sentences of death or loss of limb). The curtailment of their jurisdiction and of the wide privileges they enjoyed (see Donataries) began with the creation of the municipalities. The first to be created were those of the seats of the three captaincies, Funchal, Machico and Porto Santo, around 1451. Within the captaincy and municipality of Funchal, the town (vila) and municipality of Ponta do Sol (‘point of the sun’) was created in 1501, and at almost the same time the municipality and town of Calheta (‘small cove’). Within the captaincy and municipality of Machico, the town and municipality of Santa Cruz (‘Holy Cross’) was created in 1515. At the beginning of the 16th century, therefore, this archipelago had the municipalities (concelhos) of Funchal, Machico, Porto Santo, Ponta do Sol, Calheta and Santa Cruz, which were at the same time towns, except for the first, which had been raised to the status of city in 1508. More than a century later, in 1743, a new municipality was created: São Vicente (‘St Vincent’). In 1832 the municipalities of Santana, Câmara de Lobos and Porto Moniz were created, but they were only definitively established after constitutional government was introduced. Finally, in 1914, the municipality of Ribeira Brava (‘wild river’) was created. There are thus eleven municipalities in this district:
Funchal, Machico, Porto Santo, Ponta do Sol, Calheta, Santa Cruz, São Vicente, Câmara de Lobos, Santana, Porto Moniz and Ribeira Brava.
The old terms town, municipality and concelho were synonyms in our former legislation, at least as applied to Madeira. This is not so in the modern law of the constitutional period, in which town and concelho or municipality are very different things. Thus Câmara de Lobos, Santana and Porto Moniz are merely municipalities, not towns, since no law or special decree has raised them to that status; meanwhile, on the mainland there are several towns that are not heads or seats of a municipality.
In this article
Time
Years mentioned · 07-
D. Afonso V raised Funchal to the status of town, with Machico and Baleira (Porto Santo) probably made towns and municipalities about the same time.
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By royal charter of D. Manuel I, Ponta do Sol was raised to the status of town and municipality.
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By royal charter D. Manuel raised Funchal to city status, the first city in Portugal's overseas domains.
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King Manuel raised Santa Cruz to a town and municipality, created from Machico territory (dated 20 or 26 June 1515).
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São Vicente was raised to a town and municipality, separated from Machico and taking in Porto Moniz.
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The municipalities of Santana, Câmara de Lobos and Porto Moniz were created; Câmara de Lobos was not installed at the time.
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A decree created the municipality of Ribeira Brava. Campanário was transferred to it from Câmara de Lobos and Tábua from Ponta do Sol.
Place
Places mentioned · 11
- Calheta
Created town and municipality about the same time as Ponta do Sol.
Calheta is a town and municipality in western Madeira, created by royal charter of 1 July 1502. It later became the seat of a countship granted to the captains of Funchal and was reorganised as a concelho in 1835.
- Câmara de Lobos
Municipality created in 1832; not a vila.
Câmara de Lobos is a municipality of Madeira whose seat was historically a 'lugar' rather than a vila. The Elucidário quotes Gaspar Frutuoso's description of it and outlines the creation of the concelho in 1835 and later changes to its parishes.
- Funchal
Seat of a captaincy and one of the first municipalities (c.1451); made a city in 1508.
The capital of the archipelago and seat of the principal captaincy, where settlement began; it was made a vila c.1451–52. Its bay, the widest in the archipelago, lies between Ponta do Garajau and Ponta da Cruz and offers sheltered anchorage, though its harbour had never been studied oceanographically. The Elucidário discusses it as a health resort with climate data and records the January 1906 disturbances, the Danish prince's visit in May 1846 and recent volcanic cones in the area.
- Machico
Seat of a captaincy and one of the first municipalities (c.1451).
Machico is a town and municipality of Madeira set in a valley. The Elucidário traces its municipal history from its probable creation around 1451, through the loss of territory to Santa Cruz, São Vicente and Santana. It also records its arms, its privileges and its new town hall of 1929.
- Ponta do Sol
Created town and municipality in 1501.
Town and municipality of Ponta do Sol on Madeira, an early sugar-producing centre raised to a town in 1501. The Elucidário traces the changes in its municipal territory and its role as seat of a judicial district (comarca).
- Porto Moniz
Municipality created in 1832; not a vila.
North-western parish and municipality with a quay and a tolerable port that serves as a good landing when southerly winds close the south coast. It has one of the oldest Magdalene chapels in northern Madeira, whose feast falls on 22 July. It was the birthplace of Dr Manuel Gomes Jardim.
- Porto Santo
Seat of a captaincy and one of the first municipalities (c.1451).
An island of the archipelago, settled alongside Madeira and forming one of the three captaincies. It has always constituted a single parish, dedicated to Nossa Senhora da Piedade, whose church was repeatedly sacked. The Elucidário records the Moorish pirate raid of 1617, its own Misericórdia and a rainwater channel built on this drought-prone island.
- Ribeira Brava
Last municipality created, in 1914.
Municipality of Madeira created in 1914 from parishes of Ponta do Sol and Câmara de Lobos. Its seat, the sítio of Lugar, was raised to the status of vila in 1928.
- Santa Cruz
Created town and municipality in 1515 within Machico captaincy.
Santa Cruz is a town and municipality in eastern Madeira, raised to the status of vila in 1515 within the captaincy of Machico. The Elucidário covers its customs house, its Misericórdia, its rivalry with Machico and later changes to its boundaries.
- Santana
Municipality created in 1832; not a vila.
Municipality on Madeira's north coast, created in 1835. It lost Porto da Cruz to Machico in 1852 and was briefly abolished in 1867.
- São Vicente
Municipality created in 1743.
São Vicente is a town and municipality on Madeira's north coast. It was raised to a town (vila) by royal charter in 1744 to free the northern parishes from distant Machico, and was reorganised as a municipality in 1835. The entry also covers later boundary changes involving Porto Moniz and plans to move the municipal seat.